Agony
by Threaded Needles
Summary: He was her best friend, and vice versa, and his death didn't just devastate the batfamily. Jason/OC.
1. Chapter 1

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Re: Happy Birthday!

*hugs you* you were the first person to say happy birthday to me! I can't believe I'm fifteen. Soon I'll be old enough to drive (and visit!)

To: Vivian

From: Jason

Re: Re: Happy Birthday!

Okay so remember how we used to joke that Bruce was Batman? Yeah, I think - you know how he's been making me take martial arts now and he only home schools me right? Well I heard him talking to Alfred about sending me out on a 'mission'. So he's either Batman or he's been training me to kill people.

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Re: Re: Re: Happy Birthday!

Holy shit. Don't they still homeschool you? Do you think it's so no one will notice if you go missing?

To: Vivian

From: Jason

Re: Re: Re: Re: Happy Birthday!

I'm so gonna die /fuck/ I'm /fucked/. If I'm gone for more than twenty four hours call Interpol and tell them Bruce is a serial killer. Shit - that's Alfred. I'll talk to you later.

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Happy Birthday!

Okay, be safe!

To: Vivian

From: Jason

Subject: WHAT THE FUCK

SO BRUCE PULLED THIS SECRET LEVER LIKE WE WERE IN FUCKING SCOOBY DOO AND THEN I WAS SURROUNDED BY ALL THIS HIGH TECH SHIT AND BASICALLY HE WANTS ME TO GO OUT AND HURT BAD GUYS WITH HIM WHILE I'M IN SPANDEX

STILL NOT SURE WHY THE PRIMARY COLORED LEOTARD AND TIGHTS ARE NECESSARY

To: Vivian

From: Jason

Subject: Fuck Bruce

it's the day before my birthday AND HE'S MAKING ME GO ON A MISSION

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: not literally i hope

that's fucked up *hugs you* sending your amazingly awesome present on overnight so it should be there tomorrow ;) so at least there's that

To: Vivian

From: Jason

Subject: you think youre funny but youre not

the thing is he ALWAYS does this. he forgets my birthday and then offers for me to do a party but like, with what friends? HE DOESN'T LET ME GO TO SCHOOL.

i can't remember the last time i left for something other than a mission he's making me train all. the fucking. time.

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: i know it why would i think about it

you know that i'll always have a spot for you here if you decide to leave, right? like i have an apartment they let me stay there over weekends and vacations, you could use it the rest of the time.

it's not right what he's doing to you. just think about it.

To: Vivian

From: Jason

Subject: pffft

i'll talk to him after the mission. if he won't change things then i'm out of here.

shit, alfred's knocking, i've gotta go. thanks vi

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: stop it

jason, come on, this isn't funny anymore, you're scaring me

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: WHERE ARE YOU

it's been 17 hours you better be okay i will fly out there and KILL YOU if you're not okay, you hear me?

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: please be okay

it's been 20 hours I'm going to use the email you gave me to talk to alfred

To: Alfred

From: Vivian

Subject: Hello!

Hi, I'm a friend of Jason's? We used to be penpals when we were little, we've kept in touch. He hasn't replied to my emails and I was just checking to make sure he's okay.

To: Vivian

From: Alfred

Subject: Re: Hello!

Dear Ms. Vivian,

I regret to inform you that Jason has passed on in a housefire. If you wish, I can send a jet to retrieve you for his funeral.

my sincerest condolences,

Alfred

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: fuck you

i wasn't supposed to meet you like that. you were supposed to smile and hug me and tease me.

you weren't supposed to be dead

i yelled at bruce after the funeral. told him i knew what really happened and that he was a fucking coward for not being able to kill the joker, and selfish. he's just going to get out, do this again to hundreds of people to more little orphaned boys being dressed in tights and secluded from the world. he said he didn't know what i was talking about in the most threatening way possible and practically strong armed me into a car

To: Jason

From: Vivian

Subject: fucking hell

Alfred sent me your belongings. he said that they were too painful for bruce to have and that i was... basically i was the only other person they could go to.

fuck.

* * *

Vi stared at the screen of her laptop for a few minutes before her jaw clicked shut.

She was staying in Jason's room, like she always did when she visited, so it took her hardly any time at all to run downstairs and scream over the intercom for Bruce to get his ass down here.

"I'm so proud of you." she gushed, wrapping him up in a hug the second he appeared. "I never really thought you would grow the balls to do it but the city is going to start getting so much safer with you really putting your foot down."

"With me - what?" Bruce said, sounding extremely confused.

"Sir." Alfred said, and Vi reluctantly peeled herself off of Bruce to look at the butler. "There appears to be another vigilante in Gotham."

"Are you - wait." Vi asked, face slowly turning red as she got more and more angry. "You're joking. We had to wait for someone else to kill the head of the child prostitution ring? I thought you were just - I fucking."

Bruce ignored her, walking briskly towards the nearest computer as he called up the news.

"Holy mother of God." he whispered.

"Yeah Bruce, that's what someone who cares about the fucking city would do."

"They - they cut off his penis and made him eat it." Bruce sounded horrified.

"Damn straight they did!" Vivian yelled. "Over six hundred children were released over all points of the city, and most of them are dying, Bruce! You could have stopped it when there were only thirty!"

"The police wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole." Bruce said through gritted teeth.

"And neither would you because your fucking hero complex doesn't let you kill or maim people." Vivian replied. "I hope they kill the Joker the way you let him kill Jason."

"Miss." Alfred said quietly, soft voice cutting through the building tension in the room.

"I'm going to visit Jason." she spat out, stalking towards the back door.

The drive to the cemetery was long as always, despite it only taking a few moments. Before her head had cleared of the rage she was sitting with her back against Jason's headstone, curled in on herself and furious.

"I hope that whoever it is that's killing people gets Bruce too. I hope they bomb Arkum Asylum." she sighed, letting her head tilt back so she could look at the sky. "I miss you.

"I miss talking to you before I had to fall asleep, trying to work our schedules so we could have conversations even with the time difference... I... just..."

The first tear slid down her cheek and she wasn't surprised - she couldn't remember the last time she came here and didn't cry. She wasn't even sure it was possible.

As she began to quietly sob, Vivian kept her eyes on the shifting clouds. She didn't see the man in dark clothing, didn't see him rub a hand over his eyes and turn away. She didn't see him start towards her and then stop, didn't see him shake his head and leave with clenched fists and heavy breaths.

She didn't see Jason.

* * *

Vivian stared at the dregs of her hot chocolate, wondering how rude it would be to scoop up the remainders with her fingertips and suck it keep herself from doing that probably-rude thing, she glanced up and inspected the other coffee shop patrons.

There was a man in a table across from her that reminded her almsot painfully of Jason - same facial structure, same basic coloring. He glanced up and caught her eye, lips twitching upwards a little despite his obviously sad demeanor. He stood and walked over to join her.

"Hey." he said, dropping into the chair across from her.

"Hello." she gave a tenuous smile. "I'm Vivian."

"Jackson."

Shit, even his /name/ was close to Jason's.

"I uh, I saw you at the cemetery earlier." he ducked his head, looking slightly embarrassed but mostly depressed. "I was visiting my best friend. Or, well. Not anymore I guess, but..."

"I get it, me too. It's um - it's his birthday." Vi gestured to the cup of coffee in the seat next to her (2 sugars and 4 creamers the way Jason made it) and the white chocolate chip macadamia cookie.

"Oh!" Jackson said, sounding a little surprised. "It's my birthday too."

Vivian smiled, glancing down at Jason's coffee and cookie before shifting her things to start on his. She always did this, eating his for him.

"You look a bit like him." she said quietly, and Jackson choked a bit on his bite of cake. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah just went down the wrong pipe." he croaked.

Vivian watched him as she broke off a bit of cookie to dip in the coffee, suddenly wishing that she had gotten another one before she remembered she had bought a few for later. She grabbed a few out of the paper bag, finishing up the one she'd been eating quickly.

"So do you live in town or are you just visiting? I haven't seen you around before." Vi asked.

"Oh, I'm new. Just moved here two weeks ago."

"You moved /here/, really?" Vi snorted.

He flushed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, I get that reaction a lot. I have family and friends here though."

Vi nodded sympathetically. That had to be tough, to have people here in a warzone like this - she'd moved to take care of Jason's grave, she couldn't imagine her loved ones being under threat of more than bored kids with spray paint.

"So, uh," Jackson said, leaning forward, shirt collar dipping downwards a little.

Which was the only reason she saw it.

"You're, oh my fucking God." she gasped out, hand shooting out and fingers digging into his forearm.

Solid. He was here, he was real.

"Jason." she breathed.

"Oh, that's awkward." Jason said after a long pause, glancing down to where the birthmark on his collarbone was showing. "So, do you wanna get coffee sometime or-"

"We're getting coffee right now." Vi pointed out.

"Ah." he said.

"No, we're going back to the house, I don't care if I have to sneak you in. Bruce doesn't deserve to know you're okay."

"Yeah, no kidding." Jason muttered. "Hey, can I have one of those?"

Vi laughed and handed him a cookie.

Sneaking in was easier than Jason remembered. Mostly because it consisted this time of Vi announcing into the intercom that she 'had a gentleman caller' and 'do not fucking bother me'.

The second they reached Jason's room Vi's face went from overjoyed to scary.

"Sit." she barked and stunned, Jason obeyed. "Now explain where you've been."

"It's a long story." he hedged.

"I have all day."

So that's how Jason ended up telling his story - the real one, not the fake one he'd had prepared. When he started the (frankly ridiculous) lie, Vi punched him in the face. By the time he was finished, Vivian was livid.

"And never once, in five years, did you /ever/ think of contacting me?"

"Of course I thought about it! I thought about it all the time, but Vi, it wasn't /safe/-"

"Stow the bullshit! The Joker was back in Arkum, Bruce would have been over the fucking moon that he didn't have to add you to his guilt complex, Alfred would have grown back a few white hairs."

Jason winced.

"So why didn't you tell me?"

He swallowed. "I was... afraid I guess. I couldn't go back to Bruce, couldn't see him, not after what he let happen to me. I was afraid that if I went to see you he would be there. I just... I was scared."


	2. Chapter 2

When Vi said she had a slight tendency to cuddle things in her sleep, she'd been underestimating herself.

By like...

A lot.

Jason laid splayed under her prone body, contemplating how he was going to get out of bed to take a piss without her accidentally elbowing his bladder or waking her up. One thing he /did/ know was how scary she was in the mornings - he'd woken her up with a text once and she called just to scream at him for a solid five minutes. She fell asleep just before hitting the six minute mark, actually.

He very, very gently started to extract himself from Vi but she just held on tighter and mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'fucking no'.

"Vi, I have to pee."

"Water bottle." she yawned. "On the nightstand."

Jason spent a moment decoding that and then made a face. "Vi, I'm not pissing in a water bo-"

"I will punch you in the stomach until you pee yourself if you don't just shut the fuck up and do it. You know I will." Vi growled, and Jason recoiled from her a little.

"This is disgusting." he said under his breath, and the next minute or so was exceedingly awkward. It didn't help that she'd shoved her face into his armpit and started snoring.

A very cute, delicate snore.

But still a snore.

After a few minutes of feeling incredibly uncomfortable, he drifted back off to sleep.

When he woke again, Vi was straddling his stomach, poking his face and pushing and stretching it into funny shapes.

"You weren't kidding." he managed to get out with her pursing his lips.

"'bout what?"

"Being annoying."

She smacked him in the side of the head before dragging herself off him.

"Come on lazybones, we have things to do! Mainly eat. I buy chocolate in bulk, do you want to pick some out with me?"

"Chocolate for breakfast?" Jason asked, disbelieving. He'd never quite managed to believe the amount of chocolate she said she consumed.

Fifteen minutes later, he had no idea how she was still eating and did not doubt her.

"You're - how are you even doing that." he said flatly. "You have the metabolism of a hummingbird, I swear."

Vivian flipped him off with a slim finger before finishing her snickers.

"So, what's the plan for the day?"

"Well I was gonna go work out and train-"

"Train for what, you're working at a friggin craft store." Vi snorted.

And maybe he hadn't told her the /whole/ truth. Like the bit about how he was a vigilante currently destroying and taking over the criminals in Gotham.

"Well, you know." he said vaguely. "Can never be too careful and all."

"Admit it." Vi said, leaning in and winking. "You just wanna have hot acrobatic sex."

"I, uh-" was he blushing? He was way too old to be blushing about this. "What happened to the Vivian who nearly had a heart attack when I mentioned masturbation on skype?"

Vi turned bright red, jerking back so abruptly she nearly fell over, several strands of long sandy brown hair getting caught in her mouth.

"I'm just excited." she said defensively. "You know how I get."

And Jason nodded, because he remembered the pictures from disney land and how calm and delicate Vi just transformed into a force of nature. He'd aced all his tests that week, because Vi could be /terrifying/ when she was hopped up on adrenaline and happiness.

"The sugar high probably isn't helping."

Vi stared at him blankly.

"You know, how you just ate like three snickers and a box of chocolate covered peanuts?"

"Uh, protein." she said.

"Protein is like peanut butter-"

"I don't understand what you're getting at, they had peanuts /in/ them."

"I." Jason paused, having no defense against this elegentally simple and yet cutting retort.

"Anyways. What do you want to do today?"

"/I/ have work."

"Can I come?" Vi asked and fuck. Not the puppy dog eyes. He was helpless to even virtual puppy dog eyes.

"No, sorry - my boss is really strict about hanging out with friends on the job. We could do lunch, though?"

Maybe he could squeeze her in between training and kicking the shit out of some drug dealers on the east side. Probably. He could be a few minutes late to the ass kicking.

"I'll meet you at the chinese place on Maple Street, that okay?" Vivian asked.

"Yeah, of course. I'll text you at noon."

They exchanged phone numbers - there was no reason he couldn't send her texts between exercises - and headed their separate ways. Well, more like she took him out the backdoor and gave him a peck on the cheek to keep up appearances.

Alfred shook his head watching them. It wasn't healthy, he thought. First the young miss moves into Jason's bedroom, then when she finally does begin to move on she finds a boy who looks like him and brings him home... to Jason's bedroom?

Not healthy at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Vi spent the next five hours in a coffee shop, dizzy with happiness and riding a pretty epic caffeine and sugar induced high. She was almost scared to let him out of her sight now that she'd seen him again but she needed the break.

He was /alive/. And working in a /craft shop/.

She knew her way of coping after his death wasn't... normal. Or healthy. Or really very sane. But he'd been her only friend she actually cared about, that wasn't just a relative she played nice with because her parents would kill her if she didn't.

To be honest, for years he was the only person she cared about.

And he was so close to being out of Bruce's house - so close to being safe and next to her and able to participate in the promised cuddle puddles. But then he was just... gone. It wasn't like she planned living in his old room. Vi went to stay there for the funeral and then happened to not leave.

Vivian was jerked out of her thoughts by the alarm on her phone, and when she glanced down she realized it was time to get to the restaurant.

* * *

Jason sat across from Vivian and stared, horrified.

Maybe he should have known better than to go for the buffet. Because the way Vi ate was /disgusting/. She had a ridiculous amount of food on her plate, practically inhaling it before starting on the food he got for himself. He'd lost his appetite somewhere around her second plate.

"You've got a little-" Jason gestured to Vi's entire mouth and chin area.

"Huh?" she asked, finishing another egg roll.

"You got something sort of..."

Vi took a napkin and wiped her face off. She missed big spots and was about to attack her food again when Jason sighed and gently grabbed her chin. He picked up his own napkin and gently cleaned off the mix of sauces. She rolled her eyes but held still.

Jason stared at her for a long moment - mouth squished by his hold on her chin, light green eyes soft and content, hair pulled back in a french braid she must have done after he left. And he wondered -

He wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

"Are you gonna let me go anytime soon?" Vi asked, fingers twitching around her fork. The words came out a little mangled because of his hold on her face and withdrew immediately.

"Uh." he said intelligently, but she was already ignoring him to attack a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

When did he start wanting to - yes, he loved her, of course he loved her. They had been best friends for... since they could write, practically. But wanting to kiss her? That was some next level shit, he did not need romance right now, nope, do not collect 200 dollars do not pass go.

"So how was work?" she asked finally settling down to eat at a normal pace.

"It was good. Had a few annoying customers. They kept spacing out in the middle of what they were asking."

The punching bag broke.

"Really, more than one?"

"You'd be surprised."

It broke four times.

Or rather, four bags had broken. They were cheap and he was pumped up from all the sugar Vi made him eat for breakfast, okay?

"What do you do all day anyways? Work on annoying Bruce to death?"

"Nah. I volunteer a lot. It's not like I need a job for the money or anything, and most people are too busy to volunteer. I make stuff for kids with cancer and care packages and shit."

"Really?" Jason raised an eyebrow. She hadn't done that kind of thing before, but he'd always guessed that was mostly because she was studying all the time.

"Yes, really." she sighed, bowl of ice cream empty, hands fiddling with her spoon absently.

A waitress walked by then, dropping the bill and two fortune cookies on the table with a smile and nod.

Vi pounced on her's almost immediately, grinning like a madwoman. "I love these!"

Jason rolled his eyes fondly. "I know, you used to send me a picture of what you got every time."

"Serious trouble will bypass you." Vi frowned. "Well, that's not ominous. Guess I'll survive the next supervillian attack, huh."

Jason just shook his head as she crumpled up the fortune and shoved it in her pocket. He had it on good authority that she kept a box of all the fortunes she recieved, each one carefully dated on the back.

He opened his, hoping that it would give him some advice on what to do with the very inconvenient realization that he was in love with his best friend.

"Take the chance while you still have the choice."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? He squinted at her suspiciously. Was she going to get a boyfriend soon or some-

He abruptly realized that he was taking a fortune cookie as serious advice and stopped.

"Can I sleepover at your place tonight?" Vivian asked and woah, innapropriate boner much?

"Sure." he said, voice cracking like it hadn't since he was 17. He coughed. "Sure. I'll give you directions, I'm working a double shift so I'll be home late."

"You're the best." she said before handing over her phone. "Here, write it in the notes."

Jason tapped in the info obligingly and Vi watched him, trying to memorize the sight. Him hunched over slightly, fingers tapping carefully against the screen. His arms were big, she noticed - thick with muscle and tanned by time in the sun.

The big muscles made her think of Frozen, and Kristoff spinning Anna in a circle. If she asked would he spin her in a circle? She'd always wanted to try it. But then again, what were the odds of it turning out like a movie and him kissing her through breathless giggles?

Probably pretty high, and the thought of kissing him wasn't as repulsive as she would have expected. It felt like a natural continuation of this... /thing/ they had.

She walked out of the restaurant in a slight daze, trying to make sense of the way she'd just noticed she was okay with having disney kisses with her best friend.

Whatever. She had to go grab her stuff from Bruce's - she could worry about this shit when she got to Jason's.

Distracted, Vi forgot to put three good steps between herself and the alley as she walked by. Coarse hands darted out, one covering her mouth and the other yanking her into the alley. She breathed in to try and scream, immediately regretting the decision as she choked on the thick scent of chloroform.

The world went black, but not fast enough that she didn't hear the sneering voice say, "Now we got his little bitch he'll back off."

Definitely not fast enough that she didn't feel offended at being called Bruce's little bitch.


	4. Chapter 4

Her head /hurt/.

Her head hurt like it was the morning after Jason's birthday, but without the aftertaste of vomit and schnapps.

"When is Red Hood gonna show up?" A man's voice asked

"Think he'd move faster if we sent him a souvenir?"

Vi flinched. She didn't know who Red Hood was, but there was no universe in which that /wasn't/ threatening.

"Finger or toe?"

"Finger. I don't feel like he's the kinda guy who will be able to recognize her toe on sight. Plus she paints 'em."

Vi tried very carefully not to hyperventilate. The world was distant and shocky, starbursts of white popping off every few seconds.

The man walking towards her was bulky and vaguely dirty, the basic henchman you saw getting cuffed on the news. Unlike the ones getting cuffed on the news, he was holding a knife, a piece of rope, and some ducktape.

"What is that for?" Vi asked, voice high and wavering.

"Since I'm feeling generous," the man said, completely ignoring her question as he leaned down to tie a tight knot under her elbow. "I'll let you pick which finger you're least fond of."

"I-" Vi started, panicking, stuttering.

"Very considerate." another man said.

Then the man who had been about to chop her finger off was falling forwards, body lax and blood spurting from the bullet hole in his neck.

"So very considerate that I let you die quickly. Now, I presume you've heard of me?"

Vi couldn't stop looking at the dead man. His blood was spraying onto the floor, her feet, staining through her sandals and soaking her toes.

The next few minutes left her ears ringing with the sound of gunshots, to the point where she wasn't sure whether or not people were still screaming or if her hearing was just shot.

A nudge of something under her chin - it felt like leather, maybe a glove? - tilted her head upwards. She thought she could hear something, her name, but her heart was pounding so loudly she could barely make out the words.

"Vivian. Vivian!"

Was that Jason's voice? Why would Jason be here?

"Are you okay? I'm gonna cut you loose, okay sweetheart, just - just focus on my voice you're gonna be - /fuck/."

Then the voice that might-have-been-Jason left and she was left with the shaking voice with cracks in it that screamed 'teenage boy'.

"Miss?" the voice said. "Miss, you're uh, you're gonna be fine."

"What?" she muttered, still staring at her sandals.

"I'm just going to cut off these zip ties okay?"

They were designer. Nearly brand new. Perfect for her also nearly brand new outfit.

"My name's Tim-"

Another voice interrupted him. "Robin, your name is /Robin/."

"Right, I'm Robin. That's my name. Just, uh. Forgot it for a second. Yeah that's what happened."

"You're an idiot." Vivian informed Tim-Robin seriously.

He must be Jason's replacement.

Vi wondered how long Bruce had been training him, wondered whether her clothes were salvageable through the layers of blood and gore, wondered what kind of candy she was going to eat when she got home because she was starving.

Her thoughts ran in the same inane cycles, head dizzy as Bruce helped her out of the chair and into the batmobile. Robin-Tim made weird fluttery noises with his mouth that may have resembled words but certainly didn't now. She thought that she was going into shock - maybe already went to be exact.

When they got back to the house Robin-Tim guided her into the living room. There was celebratory pizza on the coffee table. It was left in the boxes even though Alfred would nearly rather die than not serve it on the special trays. She snagged a two liter of coke and collapsed in her favorite chair (which Alfred had thoughtfully pushed up near the table and in prime TV viewing position).

God bless that man.

Robin-Tim peeled off his mask, and she was absolutely unsurprised to not recognize him. Instead of setting into Bruce immediately, she shoved two pieces of pizza down her throat as quickly as possible to take the edge off of her appetite.

Bruce disappeared briefly to change out of his costume, but he returned before she got up to look for him. He'd learned the hard way that the temporary relief of hiding wasn't worth the (admittedly creative) property damage.

"Introduce me." she said flatly.

"This is Tim Drake."

"How long?"

Bruce winced and muttered something.

"Robin-Tim." Vi said, affecting a fake smile. "How long have you been the newest orphan in spandex?"

"Five years next week, why?"

Vi's fake smile froze, and honestly she didn't know what she would have done to Bruce if Alfred hadn't appeared.

"Ms. Vivian, you have a gentleman caller. He said it was urgent."

"Fine." Vivian snapped, then immediately regretted it. She sent Alfred an apologetic look, but he nodded understandingly.

Thank /God/ Jason was here. She grabbed three pizzas - one was a dessert pizza that didn't really count - and shoved three bottles of pop in a plastic bag Alfred fished out of his pocket.

"Would you show him up to my room? I'll meet you there."

When Alfred and Jason /finally/ reached her room two minutes after she got there - they probably took the long way, /amateurs/ - she was already tense with anticipation. Vi gave Alfred a terse thank you before tugging on Jason's arm until he came in the room.

"I'm so sorry I didn't call or anything just - you wouldn't believe the day I've had. Someone kidnapped me! And then there was this Red Hood guy who came out of nowhere and gunned them all down." Vi took a deep breath and then flopped onto her bed.

"Why aren't you freaking out?"

"Oh, I'm freaking out." she squeaked. "But I can't be freaking out if I'm not sounding like I'm freaked out. Because freaked out people sound like they're freaked out and I do not so I must be perfectly fine."

Jason stared at her as she trailed off. "That can /not/ be healthy."

"Probably not." Vi agreed with a sigh. She shoved her hand in his pocket, trying to get a good grip to pull him down with (for some serious cuddling because she deserved that) when-

When she tugged, two black leather gloves fell out, worn from use and the texture familiar against her skin. The dawning horror on Jason's face was what really wrapped it up though.

"/You're/ Red Hood?"


	5. Chapter 5

There were explanations that were to be had after that, of course. Lots of explanations. Vi asked more questions than she did the first time around - though there was substantially more interesting material this time.

When it was all over and done with she flopped onto her back with a sigh and stared at the ceiling.

"I need some chocolate."

"You already-" Jason said disbelievingly, gesturing at the wrappers spread on the bed. She glared at him and he stopped. Immediately.

Jason reached into the bag of chocolate dutifully and handed her a bag of M&M's. She caught his hand and twisted their fingers together, smiling softly at him.

"Hey, you know I'm proud of you, right?"

"Really?" Jason asked, picking up the wrappers. "You're not - I kill people. Brutally. And control crime rings for a living."

"Well, at least you're not lying to me. And you have no idea how excited I was when I thought it was Bruce getting off his high horse and doing what needed to be done. There's no reason that I wouldn't be proud of you."

Jason grinned, trying to ignore the way the tips of his ears were turning red.

Vi watched him, grinning a little bit as she took another bite of her chocolate bar. This was the boy she'd known since she was a kid, not just the brand new and extra muscly reboot.

And he was such a /dork/. But. Her dork.

She finished up the candy bar and shoved the wrapper into the bag.

"Oh!" she half yelled, straightening up. "Okay, so now that I'm a legal adult I can buy the /coolest/ underwear. Wanna see?"

Jason choked on his own spit. It actually wasn't that unusual - Vi had been oversharing about her clothing for almost as long as they'd known each other. Her asking to show him her panties was about as big a deal as her asking to show him her new dress. What was unusual was it happening in /real life/. Not over a computer screen or a photograph, but in real life.

What was bad about that unusual is that it was much easier to hide a boner over emails and letters than in real life.

"I will take your silence for agreement." Vi said cheerfully. "We're gonna have a fashion show."

He'd died. He'd died a long time ago and this was his punishment.

The fashion show feels like it takes forever, and his dick just keeps getting harder and harder. It's embarrassing and he's pretty sure any blood that didn't go south went to turn his face bright red. All in all he's dizzy and his voice is rough when he gets up to hobble to the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Vi asked, and he closes his eyes so he doesn't have to look at the way the pink ribbons shine on her skin.

"Yeah I, uh. I just /really/ have to pee." he choked out. He shifts the pizza box from where he's using them to hide his crotch.

Jason is not ashamed of the way he hobble-runs into Vi's ensuite bathroom, though he is ashamed about how long it takes him to decide that he will /not/ jerk off when the object of his fantasies is just a room away. The shower is cold enough on his skin that he swears, but it does the job.

When he got out Vi was wearing way more clothing - thank God. She had on huge pajama pants that looked suspiciously like a pair he'd had when he was 16 and a shirt that looked about the same. It brought up a weird wave of emotion, something warm that prickled at the back of his eyelids.

He did the safe thing and ignored it, collapsing on the bed and wiggling under the covers.

"So what are you going to do about Tim?" he asked as she joined him.

She sighed and buried her face in his chest, words muffled as she spoke. "I don't know. I don't know how Bruce hid him for so long - I mean I stay by myself a lot in my room, and then I'm out so I guess I'm not really around, but you'd think I'd see him at least once."

"We should probably get to know him." Jason said.

She pulled back to look at him. "We?"

"Yeah." he shrugged. "I'll do the research, you get to know him in real life. Have to make sure Bruce isn't gonna get him killed or something."

"Good plan." she said, snuggling back into his chest.

"Thanks." he said, running his fingers through her hair.

The next morning, Vi woke alone and to the sound of crinkling paper under her ear. She groaned and tugged the note out from underneath her face.

/Hey, had an appointment to keep. See you later - J/

Vivian grinned down at the piece of paper, stretching. She got up and grabbed the box from under the bed she kept Jason's letters and presents in, sticking the note inside.

She looked down at the box for a moment before forcing herself to put the top back on. She didn't have time to mess around in it - she had to talk to Tim. And figure out how the /hell/ Bruce had kept him a secret so long.

There was a knock on her door and she ran over to it, hoping that it would be Jason. When she opened it, she was surprised to see that it was Tim. He looked a bit older than he had in his costume and a lot more nervous.

"Hi. Uh, that guy who was with you last night? Jackson I think his name was? He said you wanted to talk with me."

"Oh." she said, tugging on a piece of hair absently. "Yeah, just give me a sec to get dressed and stuff, okay?"

"Yeah, of course, sorry. I mean, take all the time you want." Tim said awkwardly, backing away from the door.

She got dressed quickly, brushing her teeth and hair quickly. When she got out, Tim was just starting to sit down with his back against the wall, and he fell over trying to stand back up.

God, it was amazing the kid wasn't dead already.

"Breakfast?" She asked, walking out into the hall.

"Yeah, Alfred made some."

They sat down in the kitchen and started in on the waffles Alfred had made them - Vi plopping more whipped cream on top of hers first. A lot more.

"Your shirt is pretty." Tim blurted out.

Vi glanced down at the dark red t-shirt. "Tha-"

"Is it the color of Bruce's blood?"

Vi squinted at Tim. "What?"

"I - I didn't mean to say that." Tim replied, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Okay then." She glanced down at the dish of whipped cream before holding it out to him like a peace offering. "Do you want some?"

"Does it represent the marrow of Bruce's bo-" Tim covered his mouth and appeared to bite down on his hand.

"You're weird." Vi said, setting down the dish in front of him.

Tim said something that was muffled by his hand.

"Sorry, what?" Vi asked, taking her first bite of waffle. It was perfect, as always.

He peeled his hand off, looking vaguely horrified that he was about to speak again. "I'm just. Really bad. With compliments."

"Well, nobody's perfect." Vi said, shrugging. Although most people, perfect or not, didn't mention 'blood' and 'bone marrow' over breakfast.

"Right! Yes. You're so right." Tim breathed, looking incredibly relieved.

Oh, God. What if he was -

"I have a boyfriend." Vi said loudly, shoving more waffle into her mouth and attempting to look unnattractive. Hopefully he wasn't crushing on her. She could not deal with the awkward if he was.

"Yes. I know. I met him." Tim said, looking confused. "He's hot, well done."

Vi raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, you're hot too, of course. So it makes sense that you two hot people would be together being... hot..." Tim trailed off, wincing.

So maybe he was just incapable of normal social interaction. At least he didn't like-like her.

"So how'd you meet Bruce?" Vi asked.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Tim said.

"That's not - I asked you first." Vivian mumbled, shoving more waffle in her mouth. "Because of what he did to Jason."

"Who's Jason?"

Vi choked a bit on her food, washing it down with orange juice. "Excuse me?"

"I've heard him mentioned and I think he might have been a Robin, but Bruce and Alfred will never talk about him."

"That mother/fucker/ he didn't even tell you -" Vi fumed. The fork hit the table beside her plate with a clank. "Let me tell you about Jason Todd, okay?"

"Okay." Tim said, looking both terrified and admiring.

"So when I was little my family came over to the states to attend one of those big charity balls Bruce throws every year. I met Jason there and we hit it off, so we became pen pals." Vi grinned a little. He'd been adorable as a little kid. Unfortunately, he had graduated to merely stunningly attractive and only /sometimes/ adorable. "He was going to run away after his birthday - Bruce was... well, he's somewhat passable as a superhero and terrible as a father. I had a place he could have stayed at, we had it... we had it all planned out, you know?"

Vi stared down at the table for a few seconds. Even though she knew Jason was okay now, it made her sick to think about how close he had been to getting out. How close he had been to being /safe/.

"He had to go out on a mission, right by his birthday. The Joker he -" Vi swallowed. "He beat Jason to death with a crowbar. We don't know but... other things might have happened too."

"So when I was little my family came over to the states to attend one of those big charity balls Bruce throws every year. I met Jason there and we hit it off, so we became pen pals." Vi grinned a little. He'd been adorable as a little kid. Unfortunately, he had graduated to merely stunningly attractive and only /sometimes/ adorable. "He was going to run away after his birthday - Bruce was... well, he's somewhat passable as a superhero and terrible as a father. I had a place he could have stayed at, we had it... we had it all planned out, you know?"

Vi stared down at the table for a few seconds. Even though she knew Jason was okay now, it made her sick to think about how close he had been to getting out. How close he had been to being /safe/.

"He had to go out on a mission, right by his birthday. The Joker he -" Vi swallowed. "He beat Jason to death with a crowbar. We don't know but... other things might have happened too."


End file.
